Total of 8 Chargers, 4 starters, selected to 2018 NFL Pro Bowl

After being snubbed one season ago due to time missed for injury recovery, Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa was named a starter for the 2018 NFL Pro Bowl Tuesday.

Bosa joins wide receiver Keenan Allen as first-time starters in the game, while quarterback Philip Rivers was selected to his seventh, and cornerback Casey Hayward his second as a starter.

All told, the Chargers had eight players selected for the all-star game, with four starters and four alternates respectively. Below fans can find the team’s official news release regarding the team’s Pro Bowl selections.

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The Los Angeles Chargers will be represented by four players at the 2018 Pro Bowl in Orlando, Fla., the NFL announced Tuesday evening. The four selections are the most for the Chargers since 2012.

Traveling to Orlando to represent the AFC are Joey Bosa, who will start at defensive end, quarterback Philip Rivers, wide receiver Keenan Allen and cornerback Casey Hayward. Bosa and Allen will each be making their Pro Bowl debuts while the selections mark Rivers’ seventh and Hayward’s second.

Overall, the team’s four players named to the Pro Bowl are tied for the second most in the AFC behind the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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Bosa has totaled 61 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks and four forced fumbles over the first 14 games of the season. His 11.5 sacks rank fifth in the NFL and second in the AFC. Meanwhile, his four forced fumbles are the third-most in the league. In addition, his 61 tackles rank fourth in the league and second in the AFC among defensive linemen. Bosa set the record for most sacks through a player’s first 20 games (19) when he brought down Tom Brady in Week 8. The NFL announced over the weekend that he finished first in fan voting among all AFC defensive ends.

At quarterback, Rivers has led the Bolts to the NFL’s third-ranked passing offense. He’s completed 310-of-498 attempts (62.2-percent) for 3,838 yards with 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions for a 93.8 passer rating. Rivers ranks fifth in the league in passing yards, seventh in completions and seventh in touchdowns. He is on the verge of becoming only the third quarterback in NFL history to eclipse 4,000 passing yards in nine straight seasons.

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This is Allen’s first Pro Bowl after missing virtually all of the 2016 campaign with a knee injury. Allen has caught 88 passes this season for 1,197 yards and five touchdowns, setting new career highs for receptions and yards in a single season. His 88 catches are tied for fifth-most in a single season in Chargers history, and he has a chance to set the all-time mark currently held by LaDainian Tomlinson (100). He leads the NFL with 32 catches on third down, including a league-high 27 good enough for a first down. Allen became the first player in NFL history to catch at least 10 passes, record at least 100 yards and notch at least one touchdown reception in three straight games.

Hayward is headed to the Pro Bowl for the second consecutive season. He leads the NFL with 20 passes defensed and ranks seventh with four interceptions. Hayward leads a secondary that has not allowed a single 100-yard receiver all year and ranks fourth in the NFL against the pass. Hayward was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Month for November.

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Ingram, the first alternate at defensive end, has totaled 51 tackles, 17 tackles for loss and 10.0 sacks on the year. His 17 tackles for loss rank third in the league while his 10.0 sacks are tied for 10th. Ingram also has notched a career-high 22 quarterback hits and was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Month in September after posting 5.5 sacks over the team’s first three games.

A Pro Bowler in 2016, Gordon is the second alternate this year. The third-year back out of Wisconsin is on pace for his first career 1,000-yard season as he’s carried 248 times for 931 yards (3.8 ypc) and seven touchdowns.

His seven rushing scores are tied for the fifth-most in the NFL and third in the AFC. Also, his 28 rushes of at least 10 yards are the sixth-most in the league. Gordon has also emerged as one of the top running backs out of the backfield, setting career-highs with 49 receptions for 398 yards and another four touchdowns. His four receiving touchdowns are the most in the AFC among all running backs and are tied for third in the NFL. This past week, Gordon became the third player in Chargers history to record at least 1,200 yards from scrimmage and 10-plus total touchdowns in consecutive seasons.

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The second alternate at tackle, Okung anchors an offensive line that has allowed Philip Rivers to be sacked on the fewest percentage of his drop backs (3.3). Named a team captain midway through his first year with the Chargers, he is also part of an offensive line that’s allowed Rivers time to post eight games with a passer rating above 100 including six games with a passer rating above 105. They’ve also been effective on the ground, helping the team run for a total of 1,391 yards.

Liuget is a fifth alternate at defensive tackle. The longest-tenured member of the defense, he’s totaled 21 tackles, 5.0 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks in 12 games while ranking – among AFC defensive tackles – tied for second in forced fumbles, tied for ninth in tackles for a loss and tied for fifth in passes defensed.